EPA Methane Emission Controls, Obama vs Trump vs Biden: What Needs to Be Fixed and What Should Be Left Alone
The Trump and Obama emission regulations Biden should fix
By Robert Kleinberg
May 2021
The failure to adequately regulate major sources of methane emissions from the oil and natural gas industry is a legacy of both the Obama and Trump administrations. In an analysis of methane emission regulation from both presidencies, Institute for Sustainable Energy Energy (now the Boston University Institute for Global Sustainability) Senior Fellow Robert Kleinberg recommends that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) should overhaul and expand methane emission control regulations while retaining one important improvement from President Trump.
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Key Takeaways
- While the Trump administration changes to methane emission rules were generally unhelpful in mitigating emissions, going back to Obama-era rules would also not be beneficial.
- The report recommends that the EPA discard the Trump administration’s deregulation of methane emissions from oil and natural gas infrastructure, e.g., from gas pipelines and storage facilities. The transmission and storage segment is responsible for up to 17% of industry emissions; therefore, regulation of this segment should be restored and strengthened.
- Problems ignored by both the Obama and Trump administrations are becoming more urgent. That includes the venting of gas during normal and abnormal operations and encompasses unlit flares and processes at older and low-production facilities.
- The report recommends that the EPA retain the Trump administration’s loosening of rules allowing new emission detection technology to be used for mandated inspections. The new policies encourage the development and use of advanced means of methane emission detection and measurement, which are critical in reducing emissions.